SANTA CLARA -- Marshawn Lynch's last carry against the 49ers in Seattle was a 2-yard touchdown run, capping off a 29-3 rout Sept. 15.

The 49ers' goal-line defense could have a much different look in Sunday's rematch in the NFC Championship game. At least it looked different last Sunday.

Coach Jim Harbaugh, in a rare glance into the 49ers' schemes, told how the 49ers switched up their goal-line alignment to combat two Carolina Panthers drives en route to a 23-10 divisional playoff win.

Amusingly in his debriefing process, Harbaugh referred to the "6-2 stack monster" defense from the 1983 Tom Cruise film, "All The Right Moves." (Harbaugh called it "stank monster," but Ampipe High's coaches and players said "stack monster" in the movie.)

The 49er' defense took a page out of the playbook of actor Craig T. Nelson, who co-starred in "All the Right Moves" with Tom Cruise. (Courtesy of Twentieth Century Fox)

"We went from a 6-2 defense on the goal line -- anybody that watched that movie All The Right Moves, '6-2 stank monster,' can get a feeling," Harbaugh said Monday. "That's been our defense on the goal line, for the years we've been here."

For two goal-line stands in the first half at Carolina, the 49ers abandoned their six-linemen, two-linebacker front and instead moved Ahmad Brooks back with linebackers Patrick Willis and NaVorro Bowman. Brooks stopped Cam Newton on fourth-and-goal from the 1 on the Panthers' first goal-line drive.

"We've never shown a 5-3 look," Harbaugh continued. "By taking Ahmad and moving him into the center to create the 5-3, that was what was unscouted. We had not shown that and I thought it was a great move by (defensive coordinator) Vic Fangio.

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"We talked about it during the week. This is something that would be very difficult for the opposition if we get in that position and Vic said, 'Well I hope we're not in that position.'

"Sure enough we were in that position two times, and that planning, that preparation by our players, especially by Vic Fangio and the defensive coaches was profound."

The 49ers haven't had to deploy a goal-line defense often in three years under Fangio and Harbaugh. One of their most memorable stands came on Thanksgiving 2011, when Justin Smith, Patrick Willis, C.J. Spillman and Aldon Smith made tackles inside the 5 to force a Baltimore Ravens field goal in the eventual 16-6 loss.

Another goal-line stand came in their Nov. 17 loss at New Orleans, when Donte Whitner and Justin Smith made key stops on a fourth-quarter drive that led to a Saints field goal.

Come Sunday in Seattle, the 49ers will need to pull out all the stops to keep Lynch from getting anywhere near their goal line. He accounted for five touchdowns in the Seahawks' past two home routs of the 49ers, and he had 140 yards and two touchdowns in the Seahawks' 23-15 divisional playoff win over New Orleans.